Apparatus for drying coated papers.



No. 719,931. PATBNTED FEB. a, 1903.

w. M. BARBER.

APPARATUS FOR DRYING COATED PAPERS.

APPLICATION FILED MAY 2, 1902.

N0 MODEL.

" Z 77; I Q v UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

WILLIAM M. BARBER, OF SOMERVILLE, MASSACHUSETTS, ASSIGNOR OF ONE- HALF TO SMITH & ANTHONY COMPANY, OF BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS, A CORPORATION OF MASSACHUSETTS.

APPARATUS FOR DRYING COATED PAPERS.

SPECIFICATION formingpart of Letters Patent No. 719,931, dated February 3, 1903.

Application filed May 2, 1902. Serial No. 105,591. (No model.)

To aZZ whom it may concern: removed from it to leave aclear unobstructed 50 Be it known that I, WILLIAM M. BARBER, space of about inches through which the web a citizen of the United States, residing at of paper travels. The upper nozzles are also Somerville, in the county of Middlesex and arranged to point in the same direction, so State of Massachusetts, have invented a new that the air which they feed or discharge is and useful Improvement in Apparatus for caused to move in the direction in which the 55 Drying Coated Papers, of which the following Web is moving. The lower nozzles also point is a full, clear, and exact description, referin one direction and that in which the paper ence being had to the accompanying drawis moving. They are, however, somewhatless l0 ings, forming a part of this specification, in inclined than are the upper nozzles. The

explaining its nature. upper and lower nozzles are also preferably 60 The invention relates to means for drying arranged in pairs, the outlet of the upper coated papers in the web. Certain types of nozzle being somewhat in advance of the outpaper are finished with a surface covering or let of the lower nozzle. There is also used,

coating of such a nature that it is easily preferably, in connection with each lower nozmarredorinjured if it comesintocontact with zle a means for holding the web of paper 65 anything before it is completely and thorwhen it is at rest or in case it should become oughly dried into the web, and it is desirable broken. I prefer that these supports be in for the purpose of drying such coatings into the form of rolls mounted upon standards to webs of paper that the web during the drying extend crosswise the apparatus and of alength operation be so sustained as not to be brought greater than the width of the web. I also pre- 70 into contact with any support or rest. fer that they be arranged just beyond each My invention consists in means whereby lower nozzle and so that their upper surfaces this result may be secured; and it comprises shall be somewhat above the out-letline of the the employment of the drying medium in an lower nozzles, as by so arrangingthem the web additional capacity as a support for the travof paper is held when at rest from coming into 75 cling web of paper, whereby it is sustained contact with the lower nozzles, which it is dewhile the coating is being dried from touchsirable it should not do, as it may then be coving any surface or object below or above it. ered with the coating which might lodge in I will now describethe invention in conthe nozzles.

junction with thedrawings, forming apart of The upper and lower lines of air-feeding 80 this specification, wherein nozzles are supplied with air of any degree of Figure 1 is a view, principally in side eledryness and temperature by means of asuitvation, of enough of my improved apparatus able blower, preferably located in an apartto illustrate my invention. Fig. 2 is a View ment below and which is connected with a in vertical cross-section upon the dotted line distributing-trunkD by means of a passage d. 85 2 2 of Fig. 1. This trunk is represented as in two branches,

I have not in the drawings shown the means one running forward and the other backward, for applying the coating to the web of paper and also as diminishing in area or capacity 40 or the device for providing it with movement, toward its outer ends, and also as having the as such are well known in the art. lower nozzles opening from its uppersurface 0 A illustrates so much of the web of paper and the upper nozzles as fed therefrom by as it is necessary to represent. It is shown means of the short connecting-pipes d, which as running horizontally between the series B extend from one side of the trunk upward of overhead air-feeding nozzles and the series over the web and then downward to the cen- C of underneath air-feeding nozzles. These ter of each upper nozzle. (See Fig. 2.) 5 nozzles are arranged so that all the upper The lower nozzles on account of their shortones reach the same line and all of the lower ness and direct connection with the trunk ones another line parallel with the first, but and also on account of their inclination cause the currents or blasts of air which they direct against the web of paper to have sufficient force to sustain or hold the paper from dropping upon them or upon the rails in front of them, and they bear such relation to the rails as to cause the sustaining air-pressure to be applied very nearly over the rails or at the points where it is most necessary that there be air-pressure to prevent the web from touching a surface.

The upper air-nozzles are more remote from the trunk and are more inclined and therefore the blasts or currents of air emitted by them do not strike the web of paper with as great a pressure as do the lower blasts or currents. Moreover, the nozzles are so placed as to cause these currents or blasts to strike the paper in advance of the places where the lower currents or blasts come into contact with it, so that they do not operate to act materially against the sustaining eifect of the under currents or blasts.

All of the nozzles are preferably of the width of the web of paper, and all of the nozzles of each line are so proportioned with respect to each other and to their supply-ducts as to each deliver its blast or current of air at substantially the same degree of pressure or force, although the pressure of the lower line of nozzles, as above indicated, is somewhat greater than that of the upper line.

The two sets of currents or blasts coming from the two lines of nozzles, while having the same general forward movement, also have such an opposed relation to each other that the lifting tendency of the lower ones is counteracted by the downward pressure of the upper ones, and thus the two acting together serve to hold the web of paper between the two lines of nozzles and without forcing it into contact with any of them or with the websupports, and so long as a suitable air-pressure is maintained the paper web will be so held from contact with the nozzles and with the supports while it is being fed through the apparatus,the currents or blasts of air thus thrown against both surfaces of the web of paper serving at the same time to dry or set into it the composition with which itis coated.

The machine is of sulficient length to cause the coating to be sufficiently set or dried to permit the web to be rolled upon a receivingroller or to be otherwise manipulated before it comes into contact with anything.

Having thus fully described my invention,

I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States 1. In an apparatus for drying coated papers, the combination of an upper set or line of airfeeding nozzles, a lower set orline of air-feeding nozzles separated from the upper by a clear unobstructed space in which a web of paper is adapted to travel, the two sets of nozzles being associated together in pairs, the upper nozzles being slightly in advance of the lower ones, rests for the web of paper when stationary placed beyond each lower nozzle, and means for forcing air under pressure from said nozzles against both surfaces of the web of paper and in the direction in which it travels, whereby the said web is caused to be borne by the air from contact with the nozzles or rests and is at the same time subjected to a drying means.

2. In an apparatus of the character specified, the combination of two lines of air supplying and directing nozzles, one line being separated from the other by an unobstructed space in which thepaper moves, the said nozzles being arranged in pairs, an upper nozzle being slightly in advance of a lower nozzle, each lower nozzle being less inclined than the upper nozzles whereby the air-pressure from them is exerted with greater stress upon the under surface of the web than is the air-pressure from the upper nozzles against the upper surface of the web, and stationary rests beyond said lower nozzles for supporting the web of paper when stationary.

3. The combination in an apparatus of the character specified of an air distributing trunk, air-feeding nozzles rising directly from the upper surface thereof and extending backward therefrom, forming a lower line of airsupply, an upper line of nozzles separated from the lower line by an unobstructed space and each of which is connected with the trunk by a passage extending around said space and a rest slightly beyond each lower nozzle, the said nozzles being associated with each other in pairs and acting to direct the currents of air upon the web in such a manner as to cause it to be heldfrom both lines of nozzles and from the rests while it is passing between them.

WILLIAM M. BARBER.

In presence of- J. M. DOLAN, SAUL SIPPERSTEIN. 

